Gravesite vandals sentenced to year in jail

Wade Allen Thomas Wagner, right, and Thomas Windle, left, enter a courtroom for their change of plea hearings in a cemetery desecration case on Friday.

Bruce Ackerman/Star-Banner

By Vishal PersaudStaff Writer

Published: Friday, January 11, 2013 at 1:51 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, January 11, 2013 at 1:51 p.m.

Three of the four men accused of desecrating more than 50 grave sites at the Highland Memorial Park last June pleaded guilty to four counts each on Friday. Each was sentenced to about a year in the Marion County Jail.

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William D. Petty III, 21; Wade Allen Thomas Wagner, 20; and Thomas E. Windle, 26, were charged with desecrating 54 grave sites at the cemetery. The crimes included defecating on two of the sites.

A fourth co-defendant, Justin D. Raney, 21, was also charged. His case is pending.

In court Friday, the three men pleaded guilty to three of the 54 counts of grave desecration — a third-degree felony — and one count of trespass, a first-degree misdemeanor, after they accepted a plea agreement from the State Attorney’s Office.

They were each sentenced to serve 364 days in the Marion County Jail and three years of probation upon their release.

In two years of that probationary period, the men must complete 250 hours of community service. Within 60 days of incarceration, they must write a letter of apology to the city of Ocala.

Other conditions of their plea agreement include that each must pay a $250 fine and $522.50 in restitution to the cemetery. They also must not consume any alcohol while on probation and cannot return to Highland Memorial Park.

As a condition of the plea agreement, the state dropped the remaining 51 desecration charges.

According to reports, the men claimed they were bored and drinking the night the incident happened.

Circuit Judge Sandra Edwards-Stephens admonished all of the men in court Friday as each stood before her in separate plea hearings.

“Any time you’re bored, find something constructive and productive to do,” she said to Wagner before accepting his plea. “It was fortunate that you didn’t have to go visit a gravesite and find it disrupted.”

Wagner, dressed in an orange-and-white striped jail uniform, bowed his head and looked askance as Stephens spoke.

He told the judge he was intoxicated and wasn’t aware of what he was doing at the time.

Stephens also scolded another co-defendant, Windle, who was the oldest of all the defendants, for not being more mature than his co-defendants.

“It seems to me that you should have been giving better guidance,” Stephens said.

“I apologize. I just want to use this time to reflect on the things I’ve done,” Windle replied.

Assistant State Attorney Erin Walters said the owners of Highland Memorial decided to hire overnight security because of the defendants’ actions.

Last June, the men turned themselves in to authorities and indicated they were involved in the vandalism.

Wagner and Windle’s bonds were also revoked late last year after they were involved in separate incidents while out on bond.

According to court records, Wagner’s bond was revoked because he was charged with leaving the scene of an accident on Nov. 7.

Windle was charged with driving with a suspended or revoked license and his bond was revoked on Nov. 20.

Contact Vishal Persaud at 867-4065, vishal.persaud@starbanner.com or on Twitter @vishalpersaud.

<p>Three of the four men accused of desecrating more than 50 grave sites at the Highland Memorial Park last June pleaded guilty to four counts each on Friday. Each was sentenced to about a year in the Marion County Jail.</p><p>William D. Petty III, 21; Wade Allen Thomas Wagner, 20; and Thomas E. Windle, 26, were charged with desecrating 54 grave sites at the cemetery. The crimes included defecating on two of the sites.</p><p>A fourth co-defendant, Justin D. Raney, 21, was also charged. His case is pending.</p><p>In court Friday, the three men pleaded guilty to three of the 54 counts of grave desecration — a third-degree felony — and one count of trespass, a first-degree misdemeanor, after they accepted a plea agreement from the State Attorney's Office.</p><p>They were each sentenced to serve 364 days in the Marion County Jail and three years of probation upon their release.</p><p>In two years of that probationary period, the men must complete 250 hours of community service. Within 60 days of incarceration, they must write a letter of apology to the city of Ocala.</p><p>Other conditions of their plea agreement include that each must pay a $250 fine and $522.50 in restitution to the cemetery. They also must not consume any alcohol while on probation and cannot return to Highland Memorial Park.</p><p>As a condition of the plea agreement, the state dropped the remaining 51 desecration charges.</p><p>According to reports, the men claimed they were bored and drinking the night the incident happened.</p><p>Circuit Judge Sandra Edwards-Stephens admonished all of the men in court Friday as each stood before her in separate plea hearings.</p><p>“Any time you're bored, find something constructive and productive to do,” she said to Wagner before accepting his plea. “It was fortunate that you didn't have to go visit a gravesite and find it disrupted.”</p><p>Wagner, dressed in an orange-and-white striped jail uniform, bowed his head and looked askance as Stephens spoke.</p><p>He told the judge he was intoxicated and wasn't aware of what he was doing at the time.</p><p>Stephens also scolded another co-defendant, Windle, who was the oldest of all the defendants, for not being more mature than his co-defendants.</p><p>“It seems to me that you should have been giving better guidance,” Stephens said.</p><p>“I apologize. I just want to use this time to reflect on the things I've done,” Windle replied.</p><p>Assistant State Attorney Erin Walters said the owners of Highland Memorial decided to hire overnight security because of the defendants' actions.</p><p>Last June, the men turned themselves in to authorities and indicated they were involved in the vandalism.</p><p>Wagner and Windle's bonds were also revoked late last year after they were involved in separate incidents while out on bond.</p><p>According to court records, Wagner's bond was revoked because he was charged with leaving the scene of an accident on Nov. 7.</p><p>Windle was charged with driving with a suspended or revoked license and his bond was revoked on Nov. 20.</p><p><i>Contact Vishal Persaud at 867-4065, vishal.persaud@starbanner.com or on Twitter @vishalpersaud.</i></p>